[What's going on? Did we actually meet the Dendro Archon?]
[Probably the Traveler met her, but doesn't remember.]
[Silaya definitely knows more. Why isn't she saying anything? And the thing I can't figure out is why Silaya and Chu Xi seem unaffected by this?]
[Could it be because their souls are pure?]
[I think it's because Silaya has a close relationship with the Dendro Archon, which allows her to retain her memories.]
[The more I watch, the more Chu Xi seems like Silaya's little assistant...]
Upon waking again, the Traveler repeated the exact same routine as the "previous day." She and Paimon found Dunyarzad waiting for them, but this time, Dunyarzad's condition was even more unsettling, so much so that even Paimon could tell at a glance.
After a brief exchange, the group resumed their stroll through the market stalls.
Fruit stalls, fortune-telling booths, candy stands... everything was identical to before.
Paimon still favored Sunsettia-flavored candies, asking the Traveler to help her choose.
When the stall owner, dressed as the Flower Knight, asked which number they wanted, a number suddenly flashed through the Traveler's mind. The inexplicable sense of déjà vu reached its peak at that moment!
Simultaneously, players staring at their screens were astonished to see that all four options displayed were the same number.
The suffocating feeling of being trapped in the same day, yet powerless to escape, instantly gripped the players' hearts, sending chills down their spines.
[I admit, this moment genuinely scared me.]
[The same number, all the same number!]
[It's not so much fear as sheer shock.]
[Honestly, I still don't fully understand the plot.]
[Same here, I'm completely lost.]
Paimon proudly crossed her arms. "Ha ha! It's not just bragging—her luck has always been exceptionally good!"
The Traveler's expression turned grave. "No, it's not luck. No. 1 is lizard tail flavor, No. 2 is spiced fruit flavor, No. 3 is Lavender Melon flavor, and No. 5 is beetle flavor."
Paimon pouted. "Hey, I'm not interested in any other flavors anymore!"
Just as Silaya had predicted, the little one had completely forgotten everything that had happened before.
The stall owner was astonished. He remembered this customer was a first-timer, so how could she know so much?
Amidst Paimon's chatter, the Traveler suddenly caught a glimpse of a green figure flashing past nearby.
Without a word to Dunyarzad, the Traveler immediately gave chase.
Paimon hurried after her. "Hey, where are you going? What did you see? Shouldn't we tell Dunyarzad?"
Drawn by the green figure, the Traveler had no time to answer Paimon's questions.
The pair followed the figure to a house.
The Traveler and Paimon cautiously approached the green figure, who stood with her back to them.
When they saw the girl with green hair, the chat instantly exploded with activity.
Chen Xiyao was equally excited—this was the fourth God to appear in the game!
[Is this little one the Dendro Archon?]
[So cute! She reminds me of Klee!]
[Finally, we can escape the loop? This plotline was giving me a headache.]
[I want to know why this is happening...]
In this altered game world, the game company typically didn't release advance trailers.
In fact, shortly after the game's launch, internal staff discovered that an unknown tech expert had infiltrated their design center, completely altering the game's storyline. The final version differed entirely from their original plans.
This rendered their pre-launch hype and marketing efforts meaningless, as much of the content no longer aligned with the actual game's narrative. They were forced to supplement lore and character art only after each story update.
Alternatively, they could wait for the tech expert to release related content themselves, as they had done with the modified trailer earlier.
Thus, the company simply chose to "lie flat" and do nothing.
As for why they kept this matter secret, it was because the situation was an absolute windfall for them!
The expert's modifications had not only drastically improved the game's graphics severalfold but also optimized its core processing engine to an exceptional degree.
Naturally, they welcomed someone upgrading their game for free. Most importantly, all copyrights and profits from the modified version remained entirely with the company, with the expert claiming no compensation whatsoever.
After high-level discussions, the company decided to maintain strict confidentiality about the matter.
This meant players remained completely unaware of new quest content until they experienced it firsthand. For example, the Dendro Archon's appearance was still based on what players had seen at the Statues of The Seven.
The company simply threw quests at players, acting with utter capriciousness!
Of course, gaining such benefits came with a price—the company's official website was constantly flooded with players' "warm greetings."
However, to the company, this barrage of criticism was insignificant, utterly dwarfed by the immense profits they reaped.
As the Traveler and Paimon approached to question the young girl—or rather, the little girl—they suddenly noticed someone lying on the bed beside her.
Paimon gasped:
"Look! Isn't that... isn't that Dunyarzad?!"
Traveler: "What?! She was just with us!"
Paimon: "What's going on? How can there be two Dunyarzads?"
At that moment, the green-clad figure turned around, her first words: "You've already realized this isn't your first Sabzeruz Festival, haven't you?"
Traveler: "???"
"You know how to use this, right?"
The girl produced a Canned Knowledge device that emitted a peculiar glow.
Though wary, the Traveler and Paimon instinctively knew they had to use it.
The moment they activated the device, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into their minds.
Paimon: "We... suddenly have memories of so many extra days. So today is already the twentieth? No... the thirtieth? Fortieth? We can't even count how many Sabzeruz Festivals we've experienced now!"
After receiving these memories, the Traveler's expression calmed.
Paimon: "We've been trapped in the same day... If someone hadn't helped us, we wouldn't have even noticed... So, what exactly is this Canned Knowledge?"
"Your memories are still a bit muddled, aren't they? Think back carefully. This isn't our first meeting. I explained this to you long ago."
The girl's voice carried a calming power.
Paimon: "Oh... let me think... Ah, right! You said the Canned Knowledge is just an 'external form.' The real purpose of touching it was to help us recover our memories..."
The Traveler remained silent, still deep in thought.
The girl: "You seem to have more questions."
The Traveler nodded. "In the memories, Silaya seemed to tell us why we were trapped in this day, but... why can't I remember it at all?"
The girl: "You've asked this before. The rules of this world dictate that the truth can only be discovered by you yourself. The moment Silaya reveals the truth, the world resets, you lose that memory, and Silaya loses part of her own."
Suddenly, Silaya walked in from the doorway. "Hmm... Lord Kusanali? So, all my actions before were actually counterproductive?"
"This is the fourteenth time you've suddenly appeared and asked me the same question," the girl said.
"..."
Silaya was silent.